Underappreciated horror movies?

D

Deuce

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Looking for new stuff to check out, in the spirit of the season. Looking for diamonds in the rough, here.

No undisputed classics like Halloween/Texas Chainsaw Massacre/Nightmare on Elm Street/Dawn of the Dead, etc. We've all seen them (or if we haven't, we should and we all know it). I want either obscure stuff that I'm not likely to have heard of, or good movies that just got passed over in the theaters. Preferably not terrifically cheesy.

And before anyone says it, I did NOT like Trick 'r Treat, other than the creepy kid in the mask.
 
norton9478

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I'm sure that people will chime in about how much it sucks....

But The Others is always worth checking out
 
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genjiglove

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One that I almost never hear mentioned is "The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue". It is actually on Netflix to stream under the title "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie". As you may have guessed from the title it is a zombie movie, but I would honestly almost put it on the level of Romero's earlier stuff and well above most of the other movies in the genre, which I generally think is pretty poor despite my love for zombie movies.

Another one that was recently put up on Netflix is "Tomb of the Blind Dead", which is a Spanish movie I believe. I haven't seen it in years but its worth watching.

Suspiria is available to stream as well, but I'm guessing if you are a horror fan you've probably seen it. If not, make it a priority. Another Argento film called "Opera" was put up recently too, but I have yet to watch it.
 
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neogeogod

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Evil Dead trilogy for obvious reasons Bubba Ho Tep was entertaining... Dead Alive was cheesy but a good watch.. Drag me to hell was a good movie if you like the Evil Dead trilogy same type of humor. Grindhouse ( Death Proof,Planet Terror) movies were really awesome didnt get the attention they should have.
 
terry.330

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Maniac
House <-- This is getting a Criterion release soon!
House of the Devil
Cat in the Brain


I shall think of more later.
 
Kazuki Dash

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I myself was always partial to the original 1981 release of My Bloody Valentine, NOT the 3D remake. Standard "young people in dangerous environment" stuff, but a good early horror flick. The latest DVD release even has some neat extras and some previously deleted scenes that can be viewed in-movie.
 
Eric

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I'm a big fan of Stir of Echoes but it got passed over by many when in theaters due to being released around the same time as The Sixth Sense.
 
genjiglove

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A more recent one is "The House of the Devil", which came out in 2009. It's about a young college student who doesn't have much money but is trying to get a new apartment. She sees a sign up for a baby sitting job but something is off about the situation from the very start and only gets worse. The movie is a throwback to late 70's-early 80's horror films, if you are a fan of those you'll probably enjoy it.
 
NeoTurfMasta

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norton9478 said:
I'm sure that people will chime in about how much it sucks....

But The Others is always worth checking out
Click to expand...

What pissed me off is that the same week it came out, I saw a Tales From the Darkside episode that was very close to the same idea. I had no idea at the time, but when I started watching The Others, I knew exactly what was going on. Kind of ruined it for me.
 
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Splinter was damn good. Creature feature in a gas station... easy to get into, surprisingly good acting and flow.

Abominable was cheesy fun. Bigfoot killer movie with a flare of Hitchcock's Rear Window.

Foreign films: The Maid, Fung Shui
 
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BigTinz

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A classic, that many people my age(early 20s) may have missed.

Salem's Lot: The Movie.
 
NeoTurfMasta

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genjiglove said:
A more recent one is "The House of the Devil", which came out in 2009. It's about a young college student who doesn't have much money but is trying to get a new apartment. She sees a sign up for a baby sitting job but something is off about the situation from the very start and only gets worse. The movie is a throwback to late 70's-early 80's horror films, if you are a fan of those you'll probably enjoy it.
Click to expand...

YES! I really liked that one. Probably one of the best "throwbacks" I have seen. Definitely loved the atmosphere.
 
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Rade K

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The Road.

Not that it is an under appreciated film, it's just that it is under appreciated as a horror film.

I'm not kidding when I say this film gave me nightmares.
 
genjiglove

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Rade said:
The Road.

Not that it is an under appreciated film, it's just that it is under appreciated as a horror film.

I'm not kidding when I say this film gave me nightmares.
Click to expand...

Its a bit of a stretch, but I think you can almost classify "No Country for Old Men" as a horror film. Tell me Anton Chigurh is not one of the creepiest, most intimidating villains in any movie.
 
D

Deuce

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Okay, guys. Dead Alive and the Evil Dead trilogy aren't exactly what I'd call "underappreciated." Evil Dead II fits neatly into the "undisputed classic" niche, IMO. And I didn't like Drag Me To Hell.

The Others - Seen it, actually. Thought it was okay.
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue/Let Sleeping Corpses Lie - Never heard of it. I'll check it out.
Tomb of the Blind Dead - Also a new one on me.
Suspiria - Honestly, if this is what all the Dario Argento love is about, then I don't get it. Neat shot composition and striking use of color, but a horrible film.
Maniac - Need more details, but I think I've seen this.
House - I used to have this and House II on DVD. Why did I ever get rid of it?
House of the Devil - I've been hesitant about this, but I guess I'll check it out.
Cat in the Brain - Well, the title's certainly intrigueing. Is it on Netflix Watch Instantly?
Undead Zombies from Australia Head to the US - Is this as cheesy as it sounds?
Stir of Echoes - Never did see it. I always seem to get it confused with The Mothman Prophecies.
My Bloody Valentine (original) - I'll check it out. My teenagers-in-trouble tolerance level is usually pretty low, though.
The Changeling - Had me at George C. Scott. Definitely a watch.
They Live - This is comedy. Good comedy, but still.
Videodrone - Not familiar with this. What's the pitch?
Splinter - I loved this movie.
 
genjiglove

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Deuce said:
Undead Zombies from Australia Head to the US - Is this as cheesy as it sounds?
Click to expand...

Haha, its just called Undead. I watched it several years ago, its ok. As the wiki link says though, it is more of a comedic horror film so keep that in mind.

Videodrome (not "drone) is a Cronenburg movie, one of his weirder ones. That is possibly all you need to know. If you watch it and like it, I suggest "Scanners" as well, which I'm guessing you are at least familiar with. Anyone who has seen the gif. of the dudes head exploding in a blood mess has seen at least a small part of Scanners.
 
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Fritz

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Off the top of my head

Naked Lunch - odd noir style horror/sci fi film
People Under the Stairs - one of my childhood favorites, probably not the best movie to watch at age 9.
Jacobs Laddder
 
Eric

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Also want to include The Funhouse by Tobe Hooper, the guy who did Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Salem's Lot, and Poltergeist.

Edit: I noticed you wanted to avoid teenager slasher type films, so this one is probably not your thing.
 
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genjiglove

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You might also be interested in some Lucio Fulci movies too. There are a couple up on Netflix at the moment, "City of the Living Dead" and "The New York Ripper". Both are decent, but his best two are "Zombie" and "The Beyond". His zombie stuff tends to focus more on the metaphysical side, particularly "The Beyond". I highly suggest it. Most of his other stuff is hit or miss. The movie Terry330 mentioned called "Cat in the Brain" is another Fulci film I believe, but I have not seen it.

You have to be careful when looking into the world of Italian horror from the 70's and 80's. For every gem there are 10 movies that are just absolute garbage. If you are a gorehound though, you won't find many more violent movies out there.
 
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ratson

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I think it should be Videodrome, from 1983
 
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